Woman’s club, cadets highlight cheerful Palos Park meeting

Grace Mischak and Jake Zemgulis share a light moment holding up their scholarship checks at the Palos Park Village Council Meeting on March 27. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)

By Jeff Vorva

The meeting before Tuesday’s election in Palos Park was free of controversy.

After a few recent meetings were packed with people and featured some strife, the March 27 village council meeting was packed but full of joy and accomplishments.

Many were on hand from the Palos Park Woman’s Club, an organization that turned 120-years-old last year and presented a plaque to be displayed at the Kaptur Center.

The organization’s president, Sue Peterson, said the plaque has 144 plates for names.

“All of the 33 founding members are included, and they were purchased by members of the club,” she said. “Most of our past 56 presidents also have plates, also purchased by the members. One member actually bought 20 plates to be sure that past members that she knew would be honored on the plaque.

“It has a lot of meaning to us and that anniversary made us realize that it has a large history behind our club and we are thrilled to have it displayed.”

Biggest in Illinois

Peterson said at the meeting that the Palos Woman’s Club members may not know this fact, but the organization has 153 members and that leads the state.

“In the last year and a half, we have really been trying to increase the membership of our club,” she said. “Previously we were a club probably about middle-sized among the organizations in the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs in Illinois.

“I was told last week that we were the largest club in Illinois. We have a community of 5,000, The second largest is Downers Grove, which is a much bigger community than we are.”

Peterson credited first vice president Patt Bailey with ratcheting up the recruiting.

“Her brainstorming and working with younger members to recruit a lot of the younger people who were moving in to Palos Park has made such a difference in our club,” Peterson said.

Scholarship winners

Jake Zemgulis and Grace Mischak were awarded $500 scholarships as a part of the Palos Park Police Department Law Enforcement-Cadet program.

Commission appointment

The council voted in Colleen Smith Costello to fill a vacancy on the Recreation Advisory Commission.
Her term will run until June 1, 2026.